LONDON – Matthew Riddle stuck to a game plan, put Che Mills where he was most uncomfortable, and ultimately cruised to a decision victory.

The wrestler scored takedowns with ease and delivered a steady stream of ground and pound. Unbelievably, though, it was ruled a split decision rather than unanimous.

The welterweight bout kicked off Saturday’s UFC on FUEL TV 7 main card at Wembley Arena in London. It aired on FUEL TV following prelims on Facebook.

Riddle, who’s been sucked into slugfests in past fights, instead worked diligently at takedowns and continually looked to take the fight to the ground. Then, once Riddle got him to the mat, Mills had little to offer from his back.

Mills avoided substantial damage in the first round, and he quickly bucked free of Riddle’s full mount in the second round. But punches, elbows and hammerfists from the top scored frequently, and Riddle also did damage while the fighters were clinched against the cage.

In desperation mode, Mills came out swinging in the third round and connected on a few lunging punches. But with the fear of Riddle’s takedowns, he was hesitant to commit to the blows. Riddle ultimately locked up a single leg and spent a few minutes finally getting the fight to the mat after Mills’ failed whizzer attempt. Mills reversed the position in the final minute of the fight, but it was too little, too late for the fight.

In the end, the judges scored it 29-28, 28-29 and 30-27 in Riddle’s favor. It was technically a split decision, though Riddle was the clear victor. (MMAjunkie.com scored it 30-27 in his favor.)

Riddle (8-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) has now won three straights, and it would be four if not for a failed drug test (marijuana) that forced a submission win over Chris Clements to be overturned this past summer. Mills (15-6 MMA, 2-2 UFC), meanwhile, halts the progress of a recent 6-1 run.

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